23rd July 2015 – Evening

Putting my glad rags on – an orange African design maxi dress and gold gladiator style shoes – I headed off for a wedding ‘welcome’ aperitivo on the roof terrace of the Movich Hotel.

What a glorious hotel!  It has a swimming pool on the roof terrace, a beautiful bar area and my friends had laid on a salsa band.

Overlooking Iglesia San Pedro Cleaver and the Cathedral, the views are magnificent. The marina lights flicker up and down as the water swells and the hotel lights of Bocagrande twinkle in the distance.

Hanging out with the wedding guests was fun and once the oldies had gone to bed, it was time to party!

Off we all traipsed (via the Plaza de los Coches for a beer stop), to Cafe Havana in Getsemeni.  The leading nightclub in Cartagena.

What did I expect?  Techno music?  Salsa DJ?  Floors of different dance zones?

What I got was a jam packed single storey bar with live band. People danced and drank wherever there was an inch of space.

What an atmosphere!  And how everyone can dance!!

I was invited to strut myself with one of the wedding guests who I’d been observing dance with the bride – ‘Strictly’ has nothing on these two!

I was the stiffest, most baby-giraffe like salsa dancer ever!  One dance and that was enough for the poor chap!  Maybe I should’ve taken up salsa lessons as well as Spanish :-).

With a continuous flow of mojitos I bowed out and joined in the clapping and hollering as couples ‘danced-off’ and took to the middle of our makeshift dance floor.

At 2.30 in the morning I called it a day and walked home from Getsemeni.  Where was my nervousness?  Where was my worry?  There was absolutely none as the whole city appeared safe.

Walking through the streets of the old city with no cars or people was magical.  Just me, my thoughts and I.